Nemo Rangers 1-16 St Finbarr's 2-09
In the club's 100th year, Nemo Rangers celebrated claiming another Bon Secours Cork Premier senior football championship after a 1-16 to 2-09 win over St Finbarr's at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
An opportunistic Conor Horgan goal and virtuoso display from Luke Connolly helped Nemo see off St Finbarr’s in front of 10,153 supporters.
Leading by five at the interval, Rangers proved the more clinical and hungrier outfit in an entertaining matchup.
Ronan Dalton got Rangers on the scoreboard inside the first minute. That score set the tone for a free-flowing opening quarter.
Ian Maguire fisted an equaliser prior to Conor Horgan splitting the posts to quickly restore Nemo’s lead. Eoin McGreevey and Steven Sherlock edged the Barrs 0-3 to 0-2 ahead but Nemo’s response was swift.
Luke Connolly levelled matters for a third time before Conor Horgan, proving a constant menace whenever in possession, added his second score.
A Connolly free pushed Nemo two ahead and things could have gotten even better when Barry O’Driscoll burst clear after 15 minutes. O’Driscoll’s shot cleared the Barrs’ crossbar by inches however, and when Conor Horgan scored his third, it was Nemo 0-07, St Finbarr’s 0-03.
Steven Sherlock landed a badly needed free but a resurgent St Finbarr’s hopes of a comeback were thwarted by two superb Micheal Aodh Martin saves from Sherlock and Colin Lyons.
Rangers led 0-9 to 0-4 at the break following two more Connolly frees and were full value for that lead.
Connolly continued to torment the Barr’s with a well-taken point immediately after the restart before bringing the best out of goalkeeper John Kerins.
The Nemo captain and Steven Sherlock exchanged frees before the county final’s major turning point. A poorly executed Kerins kick out was seized upon by an alert Conor Horgan after 34 minutes. Horgan looked up and chipped the ball into an empty net to make it 1-11 to 0-05.
Ronan Dalton and an outrageous Luke Connolly point looked to have killed off an lingering St Finbarr’s aspirations until the defending champions struck for a superb goal after 40 minutes through Brian Hayes.
The closing stages saw Nemo doggedly keep their opponents at arms length, despite Billy Hennessy goaling, to deservedly annex the 2022 Cork PSFC title.
Nemo Rangers: Micheal Aodh Martin; Kieran Histon, Brian Murphy, Kevin O’Donovan (0-1); Ciaran McCartan, Stephen Cronin, Kevin Fulignati; Barry Cripps, Alan O’Donovan; Conor Horgan (1-3), Ronan Dalton (0-2), Jack Horgan; Mark Cronin, Barry O’Driscoll (0-1), Luke Connolly (0-8, 0-5 frees, captain).
Subs: Paul Kerrigan for R Dalton (46), Luke Horgan for J Horgan (53), Ciaran Dalton for C Horgan (53), Kieran O’Sullivan (0-1) for K Fulignati (56), Conor O’Donovan for B Cripps (60).
St Finbarr’s: John Kerins; Sam Ryan, Jamie Burns, Colm Scully; Colin Lyons, Billy Hennessy (1-0), Alan O’Connor; Ian Maguire (0-1, captain), Eoin Comyns; Ethan Twomey, Steven Sherlock (0-6, 0-5 frees), Brian Hayes (1-0); Enda Dennehy, Eoin McGreevey (0-1), Cillian Myers-Murray.
Subs: Ben O’Connor (0-1) for E Twomey (ht), Dylan Quinn for E Comyns (32), Conor Dennehy for C Myers-Murray (44), Adam Lyne for E Dennehy (55).
Referee: Alan Long (Argideen Rangers).
